The present invention relates to a joystick controller of the type which may be used for controlling the operation of certain electronic games and the like. For example, the joystick controller may be used to control the movement of a "blip" on the cathode-ray tube screen of a video game. Such joystick controllers are disclosed, for example, in my copending application Ser. No. 327,261, filed Dec. 3, 1981 and entitled "Joystick Controller with Built-in Fire Button", now U.S. Pat. No. 4,382,166 and in my copending application Ser. No. 423,812, filed Sept. 27, 1982 and entitled "Joystick Controller with Dual Firing Controls", now abandoned.
Prior joystick controllers are provided with a handle assembly which is tiltably mounted in a housing and projects therefrom for manual operation by a user. The handle assembly typically includes a handle member fixedly secured to a tiltably mounted shaft. The handle member may have any desired shape or configuration, depending upon the particular application in which the joystick controller is to be used. Since the handle member is fixedly secured to the shaft, a different handle shape requires the use of a different joystick controller, although the two joystick controllers may be identical with the exception of the handle member.
Furthermore, certain prior joystick controllers include handle-mounted fire buttons which are resiliently urged to a normal projecting position by a spring seated in the handle member. Thus, any change of the handle member would require disassembly of this push button mechanism.